Giovanni Battista Lombardi

Overall the condition of the marble is excellent with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. The section of corn resting against the proper left thigh and proper right wrist appears to have been reattached. There is some natural veining and a few small naturally occurring inclusions. There are a few small chips to the edges of the marble socle immediately beneath the figure. The column: Overall the condition of the marble column is very good. There is minor dirt and wear to the surface, including a few chips and scratches. There is a loss to the moulding at the bottom. There is some yellowing of the marble at the top. The bronze handle on the right of the plinth is lost and the handle on the left is bent.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Commissioned in 1859 by contessa Marietta Mazuchelli Longo, Lombardi's Ruth was the first of the artist's Old Testament subjects; a series which also included his Rebecca, Deborah, Susanna and Sulamite. Lombardi's reputation had been built on his sensitive and innovative memorial sculpture, which he produced with his brother Giovita, in the studio in Rome which they set up in 1852. The contessa Longo was a long-time supporter of Lombardi and indeed had previously commissioned a funerary monument to her deceased husband from the artist.

In his biblical subjects Lombardi subtly blends classicism with naturalism and reserve with allure. Ruth's eyes are modestly cast down, but her costume slips from her shoulder. Ruth, holding a sheath of wheat, is gleaning in the fields of Boaz, her future husband. The sculpture depicts the moment when Ruth is first noticed by him.

The sculpture is Lombardi's best-known subject and several versions were commissioned. Despite the popularity of the piece, the sculpture did receive some criticism from the commentator in the newspaper La Sentinella Bresciana: for placing too much emphasis on the youth and beauty of the subject. The critic wrote that the heroine, a penniless widow, should be depicted with more of an expression of suffering and sadness. Lombardi appears to have responded to the criticism when he created a second version, with more simplicity in the details and a more intense emotionalism in the face. The present model is an exceptionally fine rendering of the first version and, with the inscribed date of 1864, it is the earliest Ruth to have appeared on the art market.

RELATED LITERATURE
V. Vicario, Gli scultori italiani, vol II, Lodi, 1994, pp. 614-9; A. Panzetta, Nuovo dizionario degli scultori italiani, vol I, Turin, 2003, p. 520; S. Beresford, Italian Memorial Sculpture 1820-1940: A Legacy of Love, London, 2004, pp. 47-8; A. Conconi Fedrigolli, Giovanni Battista Lombardi 1822-1880, Brescia, 2006, pp. 53-4 & 140-3, no. 42